Suicide Prevention Month :: Fort Drum

Soldiers with the 10th Mountain Division (LI) creatively express their emotions on canvas during a Mindfulness Paint session Sept. 15 at the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) Center. The Fort Drum Suicide Prevention Program and the Family Advocacy Program teamed up to offer Soldiers this activity in support of Suicide Prevention Month. (Courtesy Photo) 
 

Connecting Fort Drum Soldiers with themselves, others

Mike Strasser

Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs

FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Sept. 27, 2023) – It was a Friday evening at Fort Drum, one of the last before the official end of summer.

Rather than picking up a pint to kick off the weekend, some 10th Mountain Division (LI) Soldiers picked up paintbrushes and participated in the Mindfulness Paint event at the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) Center.

Bill Van Orman, Fort Drum Suicide Prevention Program coordinator, did not anticipate a large turnout – only a couple Soldiers had registered early – but he was grateful that more chose to join in.

“We had a great time connecting with the Soldiers, and they seemed to have a great time as well,” he said. “Some of them really put a lot of thought into the project, so I thought it was a success.”

Naturally, there was a little skepticism for participants to overcome when they were asked to associate colors with their emotions.

“We gave them eight basic emotions, like fear, sadness, anger and hope, and then had them choose a color that they felt matched each emotion,” Van Orman said. “To assign colors to emotions is more challenging than you think, so a lot of time was actually spent figuring that out.”

For example, someone might choose red to go with anger, but that same color could relate just as well with passion.

“So that was a big part of the mindfulness experiment,” Van Orman said. “Then when you get to painting on the canvas, you then have to draw shapes associated with emotions.”

Then the painters had to determine the size for each shape to reflect how much of that emotion they were currently experiencing, with some shapes intersecting or connected by lines.

Nicole Wetzel, Family Advocacy Program educator and resident artist in the Fort Drum Soldier and Family Readiness Division, said the project is an example of neurographic art.

“The color and placement of shapes are intentional, but then you add lines or brush strokes that brings an unconscious layer to it,” she said.

Van Orman said Soldiers were asked if they wanted to discuss what they created, and he was impress by their willingness to share. 

“You could tell who had put some real thought into their artwork,” he said. “One Soldier talked about what his sadness looked like, what his healing looked like, and he even drew little stitches to represent that.”

“Seeing Soldiers really connecting with their emotions, and having a lot of fun too, that was all I could hope for by the end of the night,” Van Orman added. “And I say end of the night, because we actually wrapped up the class a little later than we planned.” 

Van Orman could assess the event as “mission accomplished” because it not only connected participants with their emotions, but the discussions connected Soldiers with each other. So, while the class was not overtly teaching about suicide prevention, he said that making connections and building relationships go directly into the theme of Suicide Prevention Month — Connect to Protect: Support is Within Reach.

“They were definitely connecting,” Van Orman said. “They were laughing, joking around, picking out music to play during the class. After the BOSS event, we even had a unit reach out to us that was interested in doing something similar as a team-building activity.”

Sgt. Shamela Perera, Fort Drum BOSS president, said she was eager to participate in the Mindfulness Paint because it was something she never tried before.

“I found it interesting because they had a whole color palette which we could freely choose to associate our feelings with,” she said. “No one was telling us we needed to pick this certain color to represent happiness, and it was just really freeing for my mind.”

Perera said it didn’t feel like a painting class where they had to follow specific instructions, or suicide prevention training, either.

“They weren’t invading my space or being judgmental,” she said. “They were very respectful, and that was nice because sometimes in other art classes it is more structured. This one, we could let our mind go free, and that’s a good way to release stress.”

Perera said she hopes this class will be offered again.

“I believe this is a good program they should keep having,” she said, “so that more Soldiers can take part and just feel relaxed and be in a safe environment to express their thoughts and emotions. It was so nice just being able to express ourselves. A lot of times in the Army, we go through so much, and we don’t always have a good outlet to release that.”

The BOSS Center, itself, is an outlet that Perera said Soldiers can use to de-stress, relax, and enjoy the company of others.

“We need to encourage Soldiers to take part in recreational activities and socialize with other people,” she said. “Because that’s who we are as human beings, and we need those activities to energize us. Throughout the week, you work hard, and when the weekend comes, you need to refresh and unwind. Some people may not always like art, but they like sports, or they like to work with their hands and make pottery. In the BOSS program, we try to offer a variety of events.”

Van Orman also organized a “Stronger Together” workout to support Suicide Prevention Month, where Soldiers paired up for a series of burpees and 220-meter rows to earn a T-shirt.

“Personally, I think some of our best bonds are built when we embrace the struggle together,” he said. “When things are challenging and hard, that’s when you get to know the people around you.”

Van Orman, who manages all the suicide prevention training for 10th Mountain Division (LI) Soldiers, said there are opportunities every day to address the subject indirectly just through community events. When SFRD or Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation hosts a sports tournament, cooking class or a hiking trip, he said it is a chance to meet new people and learn about the Fort Drum community and the support services available to them.

Wetzel said a recent back-to-school bonfire accomplished just that.

“The turnout was huge, and we were astounded,” she said. “And they kept showing up, and I thought, we’re going to need more s’mores.”

“And the first time I did a snowshoe challenge, I certainly didn’t expect 100 people to show up,” Van Orman said. “I’m always encouraging people to try something new, meet new people and build those connections. I think it’s really important, especially with such a transient population that the Army has, you have to be able to get out and do that for your own mental health and well-being.”

“If relationship issues are one of our highest risk factors for suicide, I think building relationships is one of the best protective factors we have,” he added.

Fort Drum community members can visit the installation website at www.home.army.mil/drum and the Fort Drum FMWR website at www.drum.armymwr.com to learn about upcoming events. They can also receive updates by following https://www.facebook.com/FortDrumASAP, https://www.facebook.com/FTdrumFAP and https://www.facebook.com/FortDrumSFRD.

For more information about suicide prevention, visit www.militaryonesource.mil/resources/millife-guides/suicide-prevention/. The Military Crisis Line can connect people with a trained counselor 24/7 by calling 988 (then press 1).

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